


Kitty Knows

by pumpkin_muffins



Category: That '70s Show
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Kitty POV, Kitty loves JH because she loves to see her babies happy, Summer of 78, drabble technically?, mention of season 2/JBH
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-13
Updated: 2020-11-13
Packaged: 2021-03-10 00:47:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,410
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27545575
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pumpkin_muffins/pseuds/pumpkin_muffins
Summary: Kitty knows things; she’s observant. She especially knows about her babies, the six children that spend their days in the basement. Will she notice anything different over the summer of 1978?
Relationships: Jackie Burkhart & Kitty Forman, Jackie Burkhart/Steven Hyde, Kitty Forman & Steven Hyde
Comments: 12
Kudos: 57





	Kitty Knows

**Author's Note:**

> That was the worst summary ever but this is just a little story I wrote about Kitty and a moment that could have happened in season five. It's no masterpiece, but I hope you enjoy!

Kitty knows things; she’s observant. She can tell when Red wasn’t telling her something, and she noticed when the ugly tan vase her mother-in-law had given her was missing-- not that she minded much-- and she especially noticed when something was up with her babies.

She sometimes felt like a mother duck, herding all her little ducklings into line. She watched all the children in her house laugh and wrestle and fight sometimes, while giving them her advice and unconditional love. She knew Eric would say something he shouldn’t to Donna--that boy was as bad as his father sometimes-- and that Steven would always hit Michael’s arm despite her chiddings, and that Fez would always be the one to notice when Jackie got a new pair of shoes. Kitty took pride in the fact that she knew them all so well. Even if they weren’t biologically all her children, she loved them all in the same way.

That’s why Kitty was the first to notice when something had changed. When Michael and Donna had left--scaring her to death, mind you-- Kitty had suspected that the summer would be a little bit bleaker for the gang. Eric and Jackie would take it the hardest, she had thought sadly. So she’d bought extra cherry popsicles (Jackie’s favorite) and made Eric bacon every morning (sometimes she made him the extra special caramel whipped cream chocolate chip with sprinkles pancakes if he was extra sad). And she knew Steven and Fez would miss their friends too, so she’d baked cookies and cupcakes and even fudge (usually peanut butter flavored for Steven; anything sugary was good for Fez) to cheer them up.

But what Kitty hadn’t really expected-- hoped, maybe, but certainly not expected-- was that different kids in the group would become closer. Particularly Steven and Jackie.

Kitty had always kept an eye on those two, ever since Steven had taken her to Prom. She had already known he was a sweet boy, but it had made her so proud that he was doing such a nice thing for a girl he said he didn’t like. And she’d noticed a year later how Jackie had latched onto him, how they always spent their time together. Steven looked like he was frowning but she knew Steven, and if he had really hated something he wouldn’t have let Jackie be so clingy. She’d thought they were dating; apparently Steven thought Jackie was too “shallow and bossy and mean.” Kitty knew that wasn’t true.

Kitty likes to take credit for their date. She likes to think--no, she knows-- that she helped Steven find the girl he loves.

And right after the date, she’d been confused. Nothing happened between the two, not as she had hoped. If anything, they grew further apart. But she could see the way they looked at each other, and she noticed that Steven never teased Jackie in a mean way--what did the kids call it?--and she hoped that if they couldn’t be together they could at least be friends.

A year passed by, and Kitty had thought there was some progress; Steven knew Jackie’s favorite soda, and he sometimes grabbed one when he came upstairs to get his own can; Jackie would always listen when Steven talked, maybe even more intently than with Michael.

But this summer, Kitty noticed a difference. It was just them down in the basement usually-- Eric was moping about Donna and Fez was forced into Bible studies by his host family. When they’d come up the stairs for lunch or she saw them leave through the glass door in the kitchen, they were always much closer together than before. That might’ve been because it was just the two of them, but Kitty didn’t think that meant Jackie _had_ to hold on to Steven’s arm or that Steven _had_ to lead her somewhere gently by the small of her back. That was their choice. And Kitty noticed those little touches; she thought that they were adorable.

And the day when they came up for Kitty’s special chicken salad sandwiches and chocolate cupcakes, she’d watched them talk. It wasn’t just that mean teasing, this was a cognizant back and forth. She’d smiled a little. They were finally friends. 

* * *

Although, Kitty had been a little confused when Jackie had come upstairs and had a small smear of chocolate frosting on the side of her cheek. Jackie hadn’t had any cupcakes. But Steven had taken one down with him, so maybe he had been nice enough to share with her.

“Jackie, dear,” she started, putting down the mail she was going through. “You have some frosting on your cheek.”

Jackie blushed and she quickly ripped a paper towel off the stand to wipe her face. Kitty didn’t think that girl needed to be too worried. It was just frosting, it happened to everyone.

“Thanks, Mrs. Forman,” she said quickly and rushed back down to the basement.

Kitty shook her head. That girl.

* * *

“Steven!” Jackie called shrilly as she hurried down the basement stairs. “Did you put frosting on my face? Mrs. Forman saw it!”

Hyde turned around, his wide grin confirmation.

Jackie crossed her arms and stood in front of him. He was sitting on the couch lazily, which meant his arm was thrown over the back of the couch and his body was slouched and it was the perfect position for Jackie to curl up on. And really, she couldn’t be too mad at him. It was only Mrs. Forman who had seen it.

“Ugh,” she sighed, sitting down next to him on the couch. “Steven, what if Eric had seen? What would he have said? He might have figured out we’ve been… doing stuff.”

Hyde shook his head slightly and drew his arm closer around Jackie’s body. “Jackie, Forman doesn’t notice anything right now. Red could have an afro like Bob and it still wouldn’t register.”

Jackie shuddered at the mental image. “Ew.”

“Yeah,” Hyde agreed. He tilted his head towards hers. “Does this mean I’m allowed a make up kiss now that you’re not mad?”

“Who says I’m not mad?” Jackie pouted, but Steven raised a brow and she felt it harder to make her angry face genuine. “You’re on probation,” she said, sticking a finger in his face.

Hyde gave her a funny look. “You know, I still am on probation. For the weed you bought when you were all crazy.”

Jackie smiled. “Aww, Steven, that was so sweet of you.”

Hyde shifted a little. These were the kinds of conversations he hated.

Jackie leaned in closer to Hyde, lips parted. She stopped suddenly just before kissing him. “But, no.” She fell back against his arm, ignoring the miffed look he was giving her. “What are we watching?”

“I don’t know.” Hyde hadn’t been paying attention to the TV. He glanced at it and scoffed. “ _Gilligan’s Island_? Really?”

“Well, I like it,” she said, shushing him.

Hyde rolled his eyes but stayed quiet. It wasn’t that bad sitting on the couch with Jackie watching a dumb show, her head leaning on his shoulder and his fingers gently playing with her hair. It was actually kind of nice. 

* * *

After lunch, Kitty had been very productive. She’d wiped down the counter and done the dishes from that morning, sorted through the mail to separate out the bills and letters, and planned out dinners for the rest of the week. The only thing she had left to do was laundry.

She sighed as she placed her white nurses’s uniform into the laundry basket. She loved her job, but it was tiring to have to worry about her son, take care of the house, cook, and be a nurse. Somedays, she didn’t know how she did it all.

Checking the time, Kitty scooped up the basket and rushed to the basement. She was hoping to finish laundry in time for her favorite soap opera, _Point Place_.

But she stopped soon after starting her descent on the steps. There, sitting on the couch, were Jackie and Steven. Cuddling. Kitty could see one of Steven’s hands on Jackie’s shoulder, and Jackie’s head leaning on his chest. It seemed so natural and ordinary to them, like this wasn’t new.

She smiled as she quietly backed up the staircase to give them privacy. The laundry could wait.

Kitty knew this was a good thing. Steven and Jackie have finally made it.

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! This is my Kitty appreciation story because she is the sweetest person ever. I think that her reaction would have been a lot different in 5x01 if they’d been consistent, which I tried to write in. I’m sorry if the voice was a little weird and if the ending seems kind of abrupt. I wrote this in three-ih hours, though, and thought it was cute. Also, Point Place was Red’s fantasy soap opera, which I loved and wanted to sneak in there. 
> 
> Thank you so much for reading! Happy Friday!


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